>> a standing ovation for pope benedict xvi as he makes his first public appearance after announcing his stepping down -- he is stepping down. hello. this is al jazeera, live from in doha. >> it is our task to make sure this government works on behalf of the many and not just the few. more than 50 gunmen stormed a military base in southern thailand with deadly

consequences. shootout in a remote mountain cabin in the u.s., the latest twist in the hunt for a former police officer accused of murder. pope benedict xvi has given his first weekly general audience since he shocked the world by becoming the first pontiff in six centuries to step down. he received a long standing ovation as he made its way into the audience hall at the vatican? . later he will preside over an ash wednesday mass. will go to our correspondent at the vatican. he said that he is stepping down for the good of the church. >> absolutely. the pope went straight into it. his first words were that he has taken the decision in full freedom and for the good of the church. he went on explaining that he

understood the gravity of the moment. then he came to the realization that he did not have the spiritual or the material's strength to carry out his ministry. it was a standing ovation for the pope. it was a very festive atmosphere in the auditorium. 8000 people were there singing before he arrived. there was music. the vatican also want to show this is not a dramatic moments, this is a difficult moment for the church. i think they want to give the message of continuity. everybody was looking at the poll, whether he sounded tired or frail -- looking at the pope. when you ask people, they said they did not see any signs of more weakness or more tiredness. >> what happens next? he will preside over the mass later today. a lot of people have turned out

to attend the general audience and the mass later. >> he will hold ash wednesday masks at around 16 gmt inside the basilica of st. peter's, breaking tradition. he usually holds its in a smaller basilica. because the vatican does expect many worshipers to come here to see the pope for the last time, they decided to move its here. judging by the amount of people already here now and we are still 4 or 5 hours ahead of that, we think the vatican has made the right decision. because it seems there will be many people later. >> thank you for that report from the vatican city. it is one of the most important events in washington's political calendar, a chance for the u.s. president to lay out his vision for the year ahead. barack obama delivered his fifth state of the union address.

he touched on various foreign- policy issues from afghanistan to iran and north korea. it was america's faltering economy that topped the agenda. now this report. >> the president of the united states. [cheers and applause] >> every year the president gets one chance to use the pageantry and prestige of his office to lay out his agenda. as he begins his second term, president barack obama coloma to describe a progressive wish list, calling for a higher minimum wage, preschool reform, immigration reform, climate change, and investment in the economy to create jobs. >> it is our task to make sure this government works on behalf of the many and not just the few, that it encourages free enterprise, rewards individual initiative, and opens the doors of opportunity to every child across this great nation. [applause]

>> in response to his economic message, republicans say higher taxes on the wealthy will not help. >> the tax increases and deficit spending will hurt middle-class families. it will cost them their raises. it will cost them their benefits and may cost them their jobs. >> on foreign affairs, the president indicated a status quo for syria, iran, and north korea. on offense and, announced 34,000 u.s. troops will return this year with the goal of having nearly all u.s. forces out by the end of 2014. on the controversial in drone program that operates outside declared war zones, the president says that will continue but with congressional oversight. taking his sharpest challenge to congress, mr. obama demanded action on gun violence, using the victims of recent mass shootings to insist that his proposal will get a fair vote in congress. >> gabby giffords deserves a

vote. the families of newtown deserve a vote. the families of aurora deserve a vote. the families of oak creek and blacksburg, and countless other communities ripped open by gun violence deserve a simple vote. course there's no guarantee the president will get the votes on any of the issues he highlighted, so he will changed tactics in the second term, taking his case to the american people directly, hoping they can put enough pressure on members of congress if that they will eventually bend to the president's will. al jazeera, washington. >> dr. bir carried out its latest nuclear test just hours before president's address. some analysts said the timing was deliberate. u.s. president warned north korea of the risk of a firm response.

america will continue to lead the effort to prevent the spread of the world's most dangerous weapons. the regime in north korea must know that there will only achieve security and prosperity by meeting their international obligations. provocations of the sort we saw last night will only further isolate them. as we stand by our allies, strengthen our own missile defense, and lead the world in taking firm action in response to these threats. south korea has reacted with a direct threat to the north. their defense ministry says they have deployed a number of missiles which could strike anywhere in north korea. more now from harry, in the south korean capital. >> dr. bir reaffirmed on wednesday that it's ready for whatever north korea might throw at it. they said the military was on high alert and could counter any type of artillery attack or infiltration attack or attack on key national assets for. there was also a direct message to north korea about the scale of south korean military

capability and the type of capability it is seeking. it said a ballistic air missile defense shield was being planned beyond the current capability a cult patriot missiles of -- capabilities of patriot missiles of north korea -- of south korea and of the u.s. south korea would be able to strike anywhere in north korea from anywhere in south korea. he also spoke about a domestically produced cruise missile with world-class position. such a missile was announced last april. he says now has been deployed in the field and is ready to use. >> we have independently developed the best class of cruise missile which can immediately reached any region

in north korea. >> south korea currently holds the presidency on the un security council. it will work closely with the u.s., which is calling for an augmented sanctions regime, against north korea. much will also depend on china, which in recent days [indiscernible] while the u.n. security council is promising a corporate measures, in the past such efforts have not prevented north korea from pursuing its nuclear program. >> heavily-armed separatist fighters have launched a major assault on a military base in southern thailand. government troops fought off the attackers, killing 16 of them. it happened in a region that sees almost daily fighting from rebels and soldiers in bacho district of narathiwat province.

greg mourad and 50 gunmen attempted to storm a marine base in southern thailand, one of the most brazen attacks by muslim separatist groups in the deep south since the movement started in 2004. using assault rifles, some of them even more body armor as the attack came in the early morning. >> things that distinguish this attack from others like it is the death toll, a large number of militants killed in this attack is unlike previous attacks. our understanding is that it's because the military was tipped off in advance. >> officials say while the attack was deadly for the fighters, none of the marines were killed. a separatist group leader was among the dead. dozens of on the run as the military staged a manhunt to find the remaining attackers. a daytime curfew was imposed near the base until thursday. this is rooted in the three muslim-dominated provinces along the border with malaysia.

the thai government has deployed 600,000 troops and send billions of dollars to put an end to the militancy in the deep south. despite that, the violence has not gone away, nor has the movement lost momentum. wednesday's attack underlines that. since 2004, over 5000 people,

>> the top stories. pope benedict xvi has given its first weekly general audience since he shocked the world by becoming the first pontiff in nearly six centuries to step down. he received a long and standing ovation. later he will celebrate- wednesday. >> now is our best chance for bipartisan, comprehensive tax reform that encourages job creation and helps bring down the deficit.

>> u.s. president barack obama has given his first state of the union address since his reelection. he said the economy had improved since he took over. urged his republican rivals to work with him to improve the lives of millions of americans. 16 separatist fighters have been killed in southern thailand while attempting to storm a military base. at least 50 armed men launched the assault in bacho district of narathiwat province. government troops ported the attack. french investigators are trying to determine if the charred body found in a log cabin is that of the wanted gunman christopher dorner and los angeles. a man matching his description killed a police officer at a building on tuesday. >> a rogue former officer on a vendetta as claimed another victim. wanted for three other murders, police believe he barricaded himself inside the cabin in snow-covered mountains east of los angeles. is surrounded the cabin which

was seen engulfed in flames. >> i know there was an exchange of gunfire. two deputies were shot and one died as a result. the second deputy is in surgery and is expected to survive. >> at midday on tuesday, police got a report of a stolen car in a winter sports resort community of big bear lake, an area where dorner's burn down truck was found last week. immediately conducted a ground and air search for the vehicle and located it at high with 38 sandglass road, where the suspect ran into the forest. he barricaded himself into one of the cabins and an exchange of gunfire occurred. it's hundreds of rounds were reportedly fired in the exchange leading to one officer's death. another officer was injured. police have sealed off the area and pretty and told residents to remain indoors -- sealed off the area and told residents to stay

indoors. he said he was unjustly fired in 2009 and claimed the department is rife with racism and corruption. officials allege he killed three people last week. police urged him to surrender without further violence. >> if he's watching this, the message for him is enough is enough. it's time to turn yourself in and stop the bloodshed. it's time to let this incident be over. >> a al jazeera, los angeles. >> let's hear from an nbc correspondent. an update from a california town near the scene of the shootout. >> at this point they don't know for sure if it is the remains of christopher dorne,r a former lapd officers who went on a rampage all over southern california. what they do believe is that the man that was inside the burning cabin was certainly christopher dorner. is there a presumption that they

got their man. manhunt has not been confirmed as ended, but it appears it has ended here in a deadly shootout that has also claimed the life of a local service deputy. it's founder of a french aid charity and its partners --- and his partner have been convicted of child smuggling after moving dozens of children from chad in 2007. four others have been given suspended sentences. now this report from paris. i october 2007, on board a chartered aircraft, 103 orphans waiting to be flown to france for a new life with adoptive parents. but there. knockedwar offerings from dar for, they all have families in chad. orphans were knocknot war from darfur.

the man and his partner were both jailed for two years. the others escaped with suspended sentences. >> so unjust. i cannot believe this as happens. brinklow lawyers said in a security workers were among those caught up in the scam. -- the lawyers said. >> they convince them to go before and humanitarian action and they were fooled. >> it dealt a body blow to france's reputation among its former african colony. with french troops on the ground in mali, they hope the verdict will help repair its relationship with chad, another key player in the region. >> in syria, activists a more than a dozen people have been killed by government forces in the suburbs of damascus and

another area. these pictures reportedly showed billable target getting pounded in homs and many people injured. a significantly higher number of people have died in syria, then the u.n. previously thought. >> and my last briefing, 60,000 people had already been killed. that figure is probably now approaching 70,000. the security council is a at its best when it acts with a unified voice. lack of consensus on syria and the resulting in action has been disastrous and civilians on all sides have paid the price. we hope be judged against the tragedy that has unfolded before our eyes. >> protestors have been fighting police in bangladesh's capital once again. demonstrators from the largest islamic party marched through the city, setting fire to buses

and attacking other vehicles. police fired rubber bullets. several people were injured protest. as are demanding an end to trials stemming from the war of independence in 1971. police in bonn have arrested a man convicted -- police in the u.s. territory of guam have arrested a man who killed a group of people, most of them japanese tourists. he allegedly hit six people with his car and stabbed eight others. a coalition government in tunisia is expected to be formed in the next few days. that's despite the alliance falling apart. the country is facing a political crisis after the assassination of an opposition politician last week. even a new government may not be able to help unify the deep political divisions. >> it is the latest dispute among a coalition beset by division. the leader of the coalition is

now distancing himself from the party. he accuses the group of sidelining its allies and the dominating the government. >> there were political conflicts. every party would like to get something for himself or herself or itself to the next elections. >> and other secular member of the ruling coalition threatened to pull out, earlier. they all disagree. ho-- all disagree about how to end this crisis and what's best for tunisia. but the opposition has a different view. the popular front, a gathering of leftist parties, accuses

ennhada of hijacking the 2011 revolution. >> the parliament has failed to draft constitution and tackle our problems. we are in a delicate situation and therefore we need exceptional measures. >> it was the assassination of a prominent opposition leader that plunged the country into its worst crisis since the 2011 revolution. the opposition blames ennhada for the killing of shokri belaid, an outspoken critic of the government. in a bid to break the deadlock, the prime minister hamadi jebali said that he will form a government of technocrats who would run the country until new elections are held, a move welcomed by the opposition, but not likely to be supported by ennhada. tunisians are as divided as

their political leaders. >> mr. jebali is a good man. i believe sometimes men rise fall-like that andy is the right man for the right moment-- and he is the right man. >> we are tired of these problems. i'm hoping go back to the days of former president ben ali. >> the political class remains undecided on how to move forward, but the general sentiment is that if the impasse drags on, the country may face further instability and uncertainty. al jazeera, tunis. >> different carmaker has reported a record loss of $6.7 billion. that's in the last year. the company blamed the worsening state of the european car market. it announced a program last year to cut its costs in response to falling sales. measures include closing one factory.

the french unions have used the courts to stall the closure. middle eastern ground water reserves used by iran, iraq, turkey, and syria as lost as much water as there is in the dixie. but according to a water resources research study. satellite images from 2003 through 2009 showed a large loss of water. red represents drier conditions. scientists believe a majority of the water was lost due to pumping groundwater, a drought in 2007, and melting ice. the body of an indigenous mexican woman called the ape woman has been laid to rest. she traveled with european people in 1850's as part of a freak show in the circus. her body was covered with thick from a particular

condition. >> i felt julia needed to recover her dignity, her place in history, and in our memory. >> this is an act of justice to the human being, an act of dignity towards a person in the ce andum of her independra gender. >> good humor is not usually associated with politics or elections in kenya. artists are trying to change that with an increasingly vocal role. >> the man who created these images wants to make kenyans uncomfortable. he took the photographs during the riot that took place after the last elections five years ago. now he is showing them in public to remind people of the horrors they went through. >> people are so angry about politicians and so angry that they are idiots because they voted for people who would not?

for them. i hope to get a ballot revolution. >> the leading presidential candidates and his running mate. they have come to life in a nairobi studio, even if it is a cartoon. this is the sense of a hugely popular satirical show. it bush's parodies to the limit. the two campaigners chew a mild narcotics. the director believes they need to keep up the pressure. >> we claim to be democratic, but we are hypocrites. we still move toward tribalism and corruption. the show brings out the issues that affect canada as a whole. >> there's a growing part

counterculture challenging the political structure and fueling the debate. the artists are using humor as a way of dealing with difficult subject and it acts as a social safety area. they are able to raise issues that might otherwise stay off the agenda. like the puppets, his drawings take aim at campaign rhetoric. he relishes jabbing politics in the eye, whatever the cost. >> this is confrontational art and you have a license to offend people. you are always under pressure to appear neutral. >> its neutrality means poking fun at the entire political class and exposing their rhetoric, he and his colleagues relished the challenge. al jazeera, nairobi. >> nigeria has returned home to

a hero's welcome. thousands of fans gathered to cheer them after they won their third continental title in south africa. we were there in abuja. >> it has been 19 years since nigeria last won african football's biggest prize. hundreds of supporters showed up airport to welcome the eagles home. >why was the team's such a success? >> god almighty. >> emanuel put it down to team worked. >> working altogether. >> another of the superstars thanked the nigerian football fans. >> i would like to thank them, the fans.

>> the the many fans say that it is restoring the football reputation. the champions and the fans